Increased environmental awareness in recent years has correspondingly increased the need for highly efficient catalytic compositions suitable for the reduction of undesirable industrial and automotive atmospheric emissions. In particular, catalysts have been sought which would convert into innocuous gases the undesirable hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide often found in such emissions.
While many highly satisfactory catalysts have been developd for such uses, most have relied heavily on platinum metals which are not only costly but of limited supply. Accordingly, a continuing need exists for the preparation of catalysts which reduce or eliminate the need for platinum metals.